The West Riverside neighborhood welcomed the reopening of Wisner Playground Dec. 6, located on Laurel Street at Upperline. In addition to new landscaping and garbage cans, the park now offers a large recreation area where dogs can legally run off leash in a designated fenced area - the first of its kind for Uptown New Orleans.

Residents and city council members alike have applauded the new 8,500-square-foot dog “run”—by definition, smaller than a dog “park”—which includes drinking fountains for pets and people, benches and complimentary waste disposal bags. Pet owners access the space through a set of double gates that provides a safety buffer zone between the run and the street so that dogs cannot easily slip out.

The renovation placed the Wisner dog run between the preexisting softball field and playground structure, with fences dividing the three areas. The city spent an estimated $309,000 on park renovations, funded by city bonds earmarked for redevelopment.

Matthew Hardgrove, an Uptown resident, jogs every day from Napoleon Avenue so that his dog can get enough exercise. Before the renovation, he said, the mixed-use field created tension between residents.

“People wanted to use the softball field for sports and softball, and I think it was a little bit of a clash,” he said. Now, the park is divided into distinct zones, so everyone can recreate at once.

The previous absence of green space for pets in Uptown seemed to divide the community. On UptownMessenger.com, Jean-Paul Villere sparked controversy in November when he expressed his frustration with owners who illegally allow their dogs off leash in his neighborhood.

The practice places both pets and children at risk, Villere said in a phone interview. Dogs could suddenly run into the street, chasing something, or be unexpectedly “set off” by a loud noise or other situational factor.

Until now, New Orleans’ possessed only a single, legal dog run—the nonprofit-operated City Bark in Mid-City. Atlanta faces a similar situation with only two, whereas Houston and its surrounding areas currently have more than 20 dog runs.

In May 2012, the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission recommended locations for 19 new dog runs, at least two in each of New Orleans’ five city council districts. Wisner was the first run to be approved by the City Planning Commission.

A second off-leash dog run may debut when Reinventing the Crescent Park opens, a $30 million redevelopment project in the Bywater.

The city lacks the funding to undertake any of the additional dog runs that NORDC recommended. However, New Orleans could implement a plan that would allow neighborhoods, guided by nonprofits, to create and fund their own dog runs. Atlanta has already chosen to back community-funded dog facilities in its own city, providing a guide for neighborhoods on its government website.

While Villere admits he’s skeptical that enough residents will utilize Uptown’s new, off-leash facility, he hopes that local dog owners prove him wrong. “It’s an issue we’re all privy to,” he said, and everyone should be part of the solution.

Meanwhile, Matthew Hardgrove and his neighbors continue to celebrate their new, dog-friendly space. “It’s about time,” Hardgrove said. “If the bars are so dog friendly, why can’t the city be?”